Heath Lowndes, Managing Director and Cofounder of Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) since its launch in October 2020, sat down to answer the biggest questions facing the art world in terms of the climate crisis today. With so much fear around concerns about carbon emissions, GCC has the data and the answers to provide the closest thing to solutions. If nothing else, they are providing a rare call to action in the blue-chip art world, recently targeted by museum attacks.
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Is there a large carbon footprint in the art world? If so, what are the main drivers?
The environmental crisis is a global crisis. Every sector of society has the responsibility to make effective changes in the areas it has influence over. We acknowledge that at a global scale, the visual arts is relatively less environmentally damaging than industries such as agriculture, construction or even fashion, but in proportion to its economic size the art world is excessively carbon and waste intensive. As with all sectors, we have a responsibility to act.
The only way to achieve this is through collaboration. By aligning on targets, terminology and strategies and by bridging the gap between the public and private sub-sectors, GCC works to set new standards and ways of working which place environmental considerations at the core of decision making. Practically, this means greater cooperation, sharing of resources, and incorporating climate justice, regenerative growth, and circularity at every level.
From the data from our Carbon Calculator and the Carbon Reports of GCC members, we know that there are 3 key areas of carbon emissions across the sector. On average – around 90-95% of emissions are made up of a combination of shipping, energy, and travel – essentially moving artworks, people and powering the buildings that house them.
What is the mission of GCC in terms of specific art world actors? For example, are there goals targeted to independent dealers versus larger auction houses?
All GCC’s work is underpinned by two targets, which all members must commit to supporting before joining the coalition:
- A minimum 50% CO2e emissions reduction across the sector by 2030*
- Near-zero waste** operations by 2030.
This initiative has been designed to ensure our members are on track to meet these targets.
* Reduced from a pre-Covid baseline year. Whilst this target is a sector-wide minimum we do encourage members to go beyond this and a reduction strategy for 70% is outlined in our Decarbonisation Action Plan. See more detail here.
** Near-zero waste is defined by GCC as ‘As close to nothing as possible going to landfill or incinerator, in the regions where facilities permit’.
Of course, there will be specific actions for different types of organisations. Our data shows that for an average commercial arts organisation, international freight will likely make up the greatest component of emissions. Insights like this that help GCC to tailor its advice.
Acknowledging shipping as a key issue, earlier this year GCC launched its first major campaign which aims to accelerate the art sector’s transition to environmentally responsible freight operations. This is an international, cross-sector campaign calling on all stakeholders and operators in the supply chain to take responsibility and make effective changes. We are collaborating with leading arts organisations and key industry suppliers to set standards, help deliver new products and services, as well as producing case studies demonstrating best practice in action.
Currently, decisions relating to freight are predicated on expectations of speed rather than environmental considerations. If collectors and artists were willing to wait longer and requested hybrid or electric transport wherever possible, then shipping schedules can be booked further in advance and prioritise consolidated road and sea freight – this would make a huge impact. In that sense, collector’s and artists have a lot of tangible power within the art world.
For an average non-profit gallery or institution, energy consumption from the grid will likely make up the greatest component of their emissions.
Given the rising energy costs worldwide, energy has become a major concern both environmentally but also economically. In efforts to reduce the sector’s emissions, we’ve partnered with Ki Culture has hosted the first International Climate Control Conference on December 1 and today, December 2 2022. This free online event will outline the current state of climate control globally, outline the scientific data behind less rigid controls and kick off a pilot to implement energy-efficient solutions – which we hope will be able to save these institutions 25-82% on energy costs.
How do you calculate data? Is it possible to successfully quantify impact?
One of the key commitments members agree to when joining GCC is to submit regular carbon reports, either via GCC’s free carbon calculator or by conducting carbon audits with an environmental agency/freelance advisor.
In order to set a 2030 target, you need to know your starting point. That’s why we ask GCC members to calculate a carbon footprint for a pre-covid year. That is your baseline from which reductions are made.
We strongly believe that knowledge and information are vital in the fight against climate change. If you can’t measure, you can’t reduce. You need to know where your emissions are coming from to be in a position to solve them.
We ask that members complete carbon reports on an annual basis, and hope to normalise emissions reporting in a similar way that all organisation complete annual financial reports or tax returns.
What are some of the things art does right when it comes to the environment?
Art has long played an important role in social movements and continues to do so – with regards to the environmental crisis – by raising awareness to the issues, engaging audiences through storytelling and documentation and inspiring action.
But the visual arts sector has a long way to go before achieving environmental responsibility. We must ask serious questions about ingrained behaviours and how the mechanisms of the industry must be addressed and will hopefully lead to major systemic changes. Some of those bigger questions are being discussed, and there are some very exciting and creative solutions in the pipeline, which we intend to be part of. But first, we have to get the basics right, and mobilise the art world to set examples of transitions to low carbon travel & shipping, as well as zero waste & circularity. This needs to be done in a coordinated, collaborative way if it is going to be successful.
We want art to continue to flourish, push boundaries and inspire, we just want this to be done in a more considerate and environmentally responsible way.
What advice do you have to art lovers and business owners?
If you enjoy art, whether as a visitor to museums or a collector, you can activate your influence by supporting the organisations that are actively working to reduce their environmental impact.
For those working within the sector, become a GCC member! With the scale of the issues we face, we don’t have time to be working in isolation. Our website provides free resources and tools for art organisations to reduce their carbon emissions by at least 50% by 2030. If you don’t know where to start, read our Decarbonisation Action Plan which includes a 10-step decarbonisation process for organisations of all shapes and sizes.
What do you make of the Just Stop Oil and Letzte Generation activists?
GCC supports the goal of stopping new licences for fossil fuel extraction and therefore empathises with the intentions of the activists calling on governments to act in line with climate science.
Our work focuses on the very practical changes required in order to urgently reduce CO2e emissions and waste from the operations of visual arts organisations. But there is not one single solution to the climate crisis. We need a tapestry of responses. Included in that is direct action like we are seeing with the current wave of climate protests in art spaces.
However, we do also sympathise with the museums that are being targeted, and the staff that are impacted by these protests. So far, the protesters seem to have been very conscious about their approach, to ensure that artworks aren’t damaged permanently. But there are obvious concerns about copy-cat activists who might not be as careful.
What has been made strikingly apparent is just how powerful art is as a tool for focussing attention, provoking debate and catalysing change. Isn’t that the role of art after all?